Author Archives: Grain and General Services Union

ANOTHER PROBLEM SOLVED: Access to personal family leave to attend to emergent situation

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Bitterly cold weather created unanticipated furnace issues for a GSU member.

GSU staff rep Donna Driediger assisted a member who thought they were required to take a vacation day or use banked time off to deal with their furnace when it stopped working overnight. The already stressful situation was made worse when the member realized they had nothing left in their vacation bank and no banked time.

Donna directed the member to Article 13.9 of the Local 1 (Viterra) collective agreement which gives members access to personal family leave to attend to emergent situations requiring their immediate attention. This time is charged to the employee’s sick bank and allows them to prepare a plan or tend to the situation.

The member was obviously relieved to hear that when their furnace died, they were not also going to be out a day’s wages.

“Personal family leave can cover issues that are health related, family related, or anything of an urgent nature that you have to deal with,” Donna advises. “In this case it was a broken furnace. Another example could be learning you had a serious health issue and wanting to attend a session with a nurse practitioner to learn more or receive instructions.”

If you have questions about personal family leave or what may qualify, contact your GSU staff rep. 

Contacting GSU doesn’t mean you are obligated to file a grievance. We will work with you to answer your questions, recommend what course of action is best to follow, and find the solutions that work best for you.

These services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

Local 1 (Viterra) delegates, Local 2 (Viterra Office) executive members meet, approve salary schedule changes, and elect officers

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GSU Local 1 (Viterra Operations/Maintenance) delegates and the Local 2 (Viterra head office) executive committee members have agreed to a proposal from Viterra management to make modest increases to most of the minimums and maximums of the salary structures in the collective agreements covering country operations and maintenance and Regina head office employees.

The increases to the minimum salaries in the Local 1 collective agreement range from 1.17% to 2.46% while the increases to maximums range from zero to 2.51%. In the Local 2 collective agreement, increases to the minimum rates of pay range from 1.06% to 2.16% and increases to the maximum rates of pay range from zero to 2.16%. The changes, effective Jan. 1, 2021, were proposed by Viterra following a market survey conducted by their HR department.

“GSU is not about to say no to improvements to rates of pay no matter how modest, but at the same time we urged Viterra to give every employee a wage increase of at least 2.0% effective January 1,“ said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “It was pointed out to management that the current so-called pay for performance system is grossly unfair and undervalues employees.”

“While making arguments for better pay in this situation, we are also aware that the collective agreement is not open for bargaining until the autumn of 2022,” Wagner said. “An examination of rates of pay shows there is a lot of work to do at the bargaining table and it will take a very strong push by GSU members to get rid of or reform the current pay system at the next round of bargaining.”

When the Local 1 delegates met on Jan.20 to discuss Viterra’s proposals, they also elected Jim Brown (Balgonie) and Gaylyn Kennedy (North Battleford) to be Local 1’s president and vice-president. Glenn Outram (Moose Jaw), Matt Denomie (Kindersley), and David Barrett (Gull Lake) were elected to the Local 1 executive committee.

GSU Local 2’s executive committee is comprised of Sheila Tran, Howard Wilson and Kaylee Kruger. They met and approved the changes to the salary ranges on Jan. 22.

If you have questions, contact your GSU staff representative.

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: New hire gets higher rate of pay than those already working in the position

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GSU staff rep Dale Markling is assisting GSU members who filed grievances after a new employee was hired into the same position as the grievors, but at a higher rate of pay than existing employees at the location.

If you have a question about a workplace issue, call GSU

Contacting GSU doesn’t mean you are obligated to file a grievance. We will work with you to answer your questions, recommend what course of action is best to follow, and find the solutions that work for you.

These services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

Local 6 (Wild West Steelhead) members vote to accept memorandum of settlement

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Monday evening’s stormy weather made the journey to vote difficult, but Local 6 members came out in force to cast their ballots and ultimately vote to accept the terms of the Jan. 12 memorandum of settlement.

GSU staff rep Dale Markling has notified the employer of the results of the vote and he is preparing the new collective agreement booklet for distribution to members.

Thank you to bargaining committee members Amber Pearson, Pasha Mughal, Amanda Pearson, and Dale Markling for their hard work in reaching a settlement with the employer.

Get the health care you need without leaving home

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A trip to the doctor just got easier. You can see a doctor virtually from the comfort of your home.

Lumeca’s Saskatchewan-based care providers are licensed to practice family and emergency medicine, and they are trained to assist you by video or over the phone. This service is free to Saskatchewan residents who have a valid Saskatchewan Health Card and are currently located in the province.

Doctors and Care Coordinators will assess your concerns, help out with follow-up questions, online prescription refills, or even just navigating the health care system. While Lumeca doctors are licensed to practice emergency care, the system isn’t set up to assist with medical emergencies. In the event of a medical emergency you need to call 911.

Learn more by visiting Lumeca.com

This article has been printed for entertainment purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of GSU, its members, officers, or staff.

Local 8 (Advance): Local 8 (AEA/Advance) bargaining committee serves Notice of Impasse

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A copy of Local 8’s bargaining proposals is available here.

GSU Local 8 bargaining committee members are Doug Murray, Steve Holliday, Dion Elliott, Doug Kampman and spokesperson Hugh Wagner.

TMM – Dec. 21, 2021

Bargaining grinds to a halt, Local 8 (Advance) bargaining committee serves Notice of Impasse

Agreement renewal bargaining between AEA/GSU Local 8 and Advance Tank Production Ltd. /Advance Tank Centre Ltd. is headed to conciliation as the union has served notice of a bargaining impasse.

The notice of impasse was sent on behalf of AEA/GSU Local 8 to Saskatchewan’s Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety on Jan. 14. It is anticipated the Minister will appoint a conciliation officer who will have 60 days to meet with the union and company bargaining committees in an effort to settle the bargaining impasse.

If the 60-day conciliation process doesn’t produce a settlement, and the conciliator reports out of the process, the parties enter a further seven- to 14-day cooling-off period following which strike or lockout action can legally occur.

Updates will be shared as they are available.

TMM – Dec. 21, 2021

Continue bargaining or declare impasse? Local 8 (Advance) committee to meet management committee in early January

AEA/GSU Local 8’s bargaining committee met with their counterparts from Advance Tank Production/Tank Centres Ltd on Dec. 16 as both sides presented revised positions on unresolved issues.

“While we can see a path forward in relation to most of the issues under consideration, there is a significant gap on the matter of wage increases as the union committee continues to propose across-the-board increases of five percent per year compared to the employer’s current position of 1.25 percent per year,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner.

“While the parties agree that a three-year agreement is on the table, we differ on retroactivity with respect to wage increases,” Wagner said. “The union committee is proposing that the first year increase should be retroactive to Nov. 1, 2021 while the employer proposes the first year increase take effect on the first day of the next pay period following ratification of a settlement by union members.”

When the Dec. 16 bargaining meeting ended, the two sides agreed to touch base in the first week of the new year to determine whether there is merit in meeting again, or whether the bargaining is at an impasse and will enter the conciliation process provided in the Saskatchewan Employment Act.

“With the support of members, the union committee is determined to press for wage increases that reflect and protect against the rising cost of living,” said Wagner.

An update will be released following consultations with the employer in the first week of January.

 

TMM – Nov. 2, 2021

Local 8 (Advance) bargaining resumes Nov. 5 in Regina

Agreement renewal bargaining between AEA/GSU Local 8 and Advance Manufacturing/Trailer Centres will resume Friday [Nov. 5] when union and employer representatives return to address the substance of bargaining issues.

The parties held their initial meeting on Oct. 20 when they exchanged bargaining proposals. The collective agreement with Advance expired on Oct. 31, 2021.

TMM – Oct. 26, 2021

Agreement renewal bargaining between AEA/GSU Local 8 and Advance Manufacturing/Trailer Centres will resume on Oct. 28 when union and employer representatives meet to get into the substance of bargaining issues.

The parties held their initial meeting on Oct. 20 when they exchanged bargaining proposals. The collective agreement with Advance expires on Oct. 31, 2021.

More reports will be released as bargaining proceeds.

GSU Local 8 (Advance) bargaining begins

TMM – Oct. 19, 2021

Agreement renewal bargaining between AEA/GSU Local 8 and Advance Manufacturing/Trailer Centres begins tomorrow in Regina. The meeting will focus on an exchange of bargaining proposals and initial dialogue around the various issues raised.

The collective agreement with Advance expires on Oct. 31, 2021.
The primary subjects in Local 8’s bargaining proposals are wage increases and wage-related issues. Local 8’s bargaining proposals will be posted on GSU’s website once the bargaining process gets underway and bargaining reports will be released as the process unfolds.

GSU Local 8 bargaining committee members are Doug Murray, Steve Holliday, Dion Elliott, Doug Kampman and spokesperson Hugh Wagner.

Severance pay in the event of an employee’s death

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GSU’s collective agreements with several employers including Nutrien, Richardson Pioneer and Viterra have position elimination articles providing income protection measures to employees who find themselves without a job as a result of their position being eliminated.

There might be subtle differences in the language of each collective agreement, but one thing all have in common is the ability of affected employees to defer employment termination and receipt of severance pay for six months after the initial 120-day notice of position elimination.

Recently a GSU member in Local 2 (Viterra Regina Head Office) received a notice of job elimination and asked whether severance pay was guaranteed to be paid to the employee’s beneficiary or estate in the event of death during the six-month deferral of employment termination and severance pay.

GSU wrote to Viterra management on the union member’s behalf to confirm payment of severance pay to the beneficiary or estate of an employee who has received notice of position elimination and happens to pass away while on a six-month deferral of their employment termination date.

In response to GSU’s inquiry, Viterra confirmed that in this type of circumstance payment of deferred severance pay will be made to a deceased employee’s beneficiary or estate.

In the meantime, GSU has written to Nutrien and Richardson Pioneer to confirm the same guarantee.

Need advice? Call GSU

Contacting GSU doesn’t mean you are obligated to file a grievance. We will work with you to find answers to your questions, recommend what course of action is best to follow, and work with you to find the solutions that work for you.

These services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

Local 5 (Western Producer) members vote to accept tentative settlement

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On Jan. 5, the members of GSU Local 5 (Western Producer Publications) voted to accept the terms of the memorandum of settlement that was reached shortly before Christmas.

The settlement provides for salary increases of 1%, 1%, and 1.25% in the first, second and third years of the collective agreement, respectively. The bargaining committee acknowledges the increases are slightly below the cost of living.

“This has been a tough set of negotiations with the print industry hurting and COVID-19 hitting on top of that,” said Sharlene Tetrault, union bargaining committee member and president of GSU Local 5. “Our preference would have been higher salary increases, but we were able to convince the company that their most regressive proposals for new employees were not going to be accepted by our membership.”

“I’m proud of the way my fellow members stood together for future members. We were able to reach a settlement both parties could live with in the end, and we look forward to seeing the Company implement changes discussed at the table.”

Work is underway to incorporate the terms of the memorandum of settlement into the new collective agreement and have it reviewed and signed by union and company representatives. Agreement booklets will then be printed and distributed to Local 5 members.

GSU Local 5 bargaining committee members are Sharlene Tetrault, Michelle Houlden, and GSU staff rep Dale Markling.

Draft version of new collective agreement available online to Local 15 (Nutrien) members

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The draft version of the new Local 15 (Nutrien) collective agreement is now available on GSU’s web page at GSU.ca  under the Collective Agreements
 tab. It incorporates the provisions from the Memorandum of Settlement that GSU Local 15 (Nutrien) members voted to accept this past fall.  

This draft has been sent to company representatives for review, approval and signature. Once the final agreed-upon version of the new agreement has been signed by both parties, GSU will print collective agreement booklets and deliver them to members. In the meantime, GSU members have access to a copy to review and work with.

“We appreciate your patience as we finalize your collective agreement and commit to getting this done as soon as practicably possible,” union bargaining spokesperson and GSU staff rep Dale Markling said in his Jan. 11 email to Local 15 members. “As always, if members have any questions about their new collective agreement, they shouldn’t hesitate to contact a GSU staff representative.” 

What will a GSU convention look like during a pandemic? We’re working toward figuring that out

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The beginning of 2021 finds us all attempting to keep our heads above the so-called second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is no less the case at GSU where plans are underway to hold the union’s 2021 policy convention currently scheduled for March 18 to 20.

GSU’s options are limited. It’s important to hold our policy conventions before the end of March so members who are engaged in ag retail and related jobs are available to participate before they face the annual spring rush to get new crops planted.

It seems unlikely that health restrictions on gatherings will be lifted or loosened much by mid-March. Taking everything into account, GSU’s Executive Committee will meet on Jan. 6 to consider a recommendation to proceed with the 2021 policy convention from March 18 to 20 under pandemic restrictions. The committee will discuss a format that involves a core gathering of up to 25 delegates/officers in Regina (if gatherings of that size are still allowed) plus remote participation by an additional 25 to 35 delegates.

“A lot of convention details need to be filled in and we don’t have a lot of time to spare before the March dates. Decisions about format, priority content and facilitating participation have to be made sooner rather than later,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “Clearly the situation isn’t ideal, but GSU has a history of adapting, and we’ll do so again to get the members’ business done in 2021.”

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: Get it in writing!

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GSU staff rep Steve Torgerson is assisting a member whose understanding of circumstances didn’t coincide with the understanding management had on the same situation. Unfortunately, nothing is in writing, and when there is nothing in writing, it’s harder to enforce.

The best way to ensure that things happen as you understand and expect is to ask for written confirmation or to confirm the understanding yourself in writing to the other party. Written confirmation doesn’t need to be elaborate. It can be as simple as an email or a text exchange.

Click here to see an example of a quick email confirmation and to learn more about why written confirmation is important. 

WE’RE WORKING ON IT: Executive Grievance for storm-stayed Viterra employees moving to Step 2

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GSU’s executive grievance claiming pressing necessity leave for Viterra employees who were storm stayed on Nov. 9 is going to a Step 2 grievance meeting early in the new year.

“We attempted to convince the employer of the merits of the case without commencing formal grievance action, but ultimately it became necessary to follow the grievance route,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “If a sewer back-up would qualify an employee for pressing necessity leave, why wouldn’t unpassable streets or unsafe driving conditions?”

GSU is aiming to hold the step two grievance meeting during the first week of January and report back here as matters unfold.

Questions? Contact your GSU staff rep.

GSU Defense Fund directors meet to review investments, finances

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The board of directors of the GSU Defense Fund met on Dec. 10 to receive an update on the financial position of the Fund and hold an investment review meeting with representatives of RBC Dominion Securities.

The reports received by the directors show that the market value of the Defense Fund investments stood at $5.1 million as at Nov. 30, 2020. The directors also considered changes to RBC’s investment mandate and will meet again on Dec. 16 to discuss the matter. The Defense Fund maintains a cash account at Affinity Credit Union to receive members’ dues and all investments are held with RBC.

GSU Defense Fund is administered by a board of directors elected for two-year terms by delegates to the union’s biennial policy conventions. The current directors are Wilfred Harris (Local 1 – Carnduff), Darryl Knelsen (Local 1 – Fairlight), Dennis Piasta (Local 14 – Kindersley), Barb Healey (Local 14 – Edenwold) and Ron Gerlock (Local 8 – Regina). Day-to-day management of the Fund is the responsibility of GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner and financial representative Debbie Head.

If you have questions about the Defense Fund or are interesting in running to become a director on the Fund, contact 

Hugh Wagner.

Members vote to approve constitutional changes, continue Defense Fund dues

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Members attending GSU’s annual general membership meetings were asked to vote on amendments to GSU’s constitution and whether to continue paying dues  into the GSU Defense Fund. Meetings have concluded, the results of the votes have been tabulated.

Majority approve continuing Defense Fund dues

In the closest results on a continuation of Defense Fund dues vote to date, a majority of 63.82 percent of GSU members attending annual meetings voted in favour of the motion to continue paying additional dues of $10 per employee/member per month into the GSU Defense Fund. Accordingly, the additional dues will continue for 2021 and the question of continuation will be voted on again at the autumn annual GSU meetings.

“This question has been voted on every year since 1996 and, while the margin has fluctuated from year to year, the ultimate outcome remains the same,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “After 25 years it may be time to ask whether the Defense Fund has reached a sufficient size, suggesting a new approach. I expect this will be a topic at GSU’s policy convention scheduled for March 18 to 20, 2021.”

Overwhelming majority approve GSU constitutional amendment

A 98.59 percent majority of GSU members attending annual meetings this autumn voted in favour of amending the union’s constitution to change the holding of biennial policy conventions to every two years in odd numbered years. The first GSU policy convention under the amended constitution is scheduled to be held from March 18 to 20, 2021.

Questions? Comments? Contact your GSU staff rep.